We Belong Together: Postgrad
by gleekinout
Summary: Sequel to "We Belong Together". When your heart gets ripped in two, you don't fall apart. You pick up the pieces, remake yourself, and show him what he's missing. That's just what Rachel plans to do.
1. Chapter 1

**_AN: So, I realized the other day how much I missed writing this story. This takes place about two years after We Belong Together's epilogue. Rachel is about 24 in this story, just for reference. Just remember, this is a Puckleberry LOVE story, I promise. I hope you love it 3_**

 **SIX MONTHS AGO**

 _"It's over, Rachel. I'm sorry."_

 _Rachel Berry looked up from the couch where she was sitting, a puzzled look on her face. She hadn't even realized her fiancee, Noah Puckerman, was home, let alone trying to carry on a conversation with her. She had been in the middle of marathoning "My 600-lb Life" on TLC, and was actually a bit annoyed that Puck had interrupted her with what she guessed was something stupid._

 _Rachel had spent most of her time over the past three months watching TV and not much else. Currently, her hair was matted and piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She was dressed in an old and worn tee shirt that belong to Puck, paired with a dirty pair of sweatpants. She didn't look like someone who once had a shot of making it on Broadway._

 _Of course, those were dreams Rachel no longer possessed._

 _Rachel and Puck had moved to New York City the summer after Rachel graduated from college. Puck already had a job lined up while Rachel spent the first few months working with a coach to help her land and nail auditions so she could start work as a Broadway actress. At first, things were slow moving. She had a few auditions for some things off-Broadway, but she hadn't been cast in anything, causing Rachel to become extremely frustrated._

 _So, to help contribute to the bills and rent, Rachel took a job as a nanny for a wealthy family. It was easy work, and the kids loved Rachel. They especially loved when she sang to them, so she was able to get plenty of practice time in while she was working instead of auditioning._

 _It just so happened, the uncle of the kids she watched knew someone who was a big producer on Broadway getting ready to cast for a new show. All it took was the kids singing her praises to their uncle for Rachel to land an audition._

 _Rachel was thrilled-this was it. This was her big break._

 _Rachel spent hours and hours preparing for the audition. Puck helped her prepare several different songs to perform, and they stayed up late night after night until she could sing it perfectly._

 _Rachel showed up for her audition and met with the producer. It took about two minutes for Rachel to realize the only way she was landing the most minor of roles was if she slept with the producer. So Rachel left and didn't look back._

 _She gave up. If that was how things worked on Broadway, she didn't want to have anything to do with it. She stopped nannying, stopped looking for interviews, stopped caring._

 _Puck was working hard all day, and Rachel sat on the couch watching TV all day. They stopped going out on dates and stopped acting like a couple. Puck loved Rachel more than anything, but it was frustrating watching her spiral down like she was. He didn't know what brought on the change in her, and he didn't know how to help her._

 _He just couldn't watch her like this anymore._

 _"What are you talking about, Noah?" Rachel asked, barely acknowledging his presence. She was more interested in her TV show than what her fiancé was trying to say to her._

 _"You. Me. Us. This relationship. It's over."_

 _Rachel rolled her eyes. "Ha ha, very funny," she said sarcastically. "What is it, April Fool's Day?"_

 _"This isn't a joke, Rachel," Puck said seriously. She finally pulled her eyes away from the television screen and noticed he had two suitcases on the floor beside him. "I've stood by and watched you these past few months. You've stopped caring about yourself, and stopped caring about us. I love you, but you're not the girl I fell in love with anymore."_

 _Rachel felt her heart drop into her stomach. She realized Puck was being serious, and it terrified her. She'd lost her passion and her future career. She wasn't ready to lose her love too._

 _"Noah, please," Rachel pleaded._

 _"I'm sorry, Rachel. I just can't do this anymore." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before placing his key on the table and walking out the door._

* * *

 **PRESENT DAY**

At 2:15 pm, a sharp knock at the door woke Rachel up from her second nap of the day. This had been her daily routine for the past six months since Puck had walked out on them. She slept in every day, watched TV, ate whatever she wanted, then napped when she felt like it. She felt like she was just existing, not living. Without Puck, her life didn't seem worth living anymore.

Wrapping the blanket around her body, Rachel pulled herself off the couch and walked over to the door, wondering who could possibly be there to see her. After graduating and moving to New York, Rachel didn't see any of her friends anymore. Quinn was busy with school, Kurt was still pissed at her for calling off the wedding (even if it wasn't her decision), Sam was busy finalizing his divorce, and Will and Cooper were off living their lives with their families. Puck had always been the one there for Rachel, but now he was gone too.

Rachel pulled the door open, her jaw dropping when she saw who was standing there.

Quinn Fabray, her ex-future sister-in-law and one of her best friends, pushed right past her and walked into the apartment, her arms full of shopping bags. Following behind her was Kurt Hummel, her childhood best friend and the boo to her diva.

She could honestly say she was shocked to see them. Neither of them had been pleased with her when she told them about her and Puck splitting up, and she had hardly seen them over the past six months.

"I...um..." Rachel stammered, not sure what to say.

"The polite thing to say is 'please come in, Quinn and Kurt,'" Quinn said, looking at Rachel with her hand resting on her hip.

"Except we already walked in, so that doesn't exactly apply, Blondie," Kurt said, rolling his eyes at Quinn. He turned back to Rachel, looking her up and down with a critical gaze before shaking his head. "You look like hell, diva," he said sadly, shaking his head. "It's like, all that hard work I did in college to turn you into a fashionista went out the door with your wayward ex-boyfriend."

Rachel felt a pang in her chest when Kurt mentioned her ex (she refused to even think his name). She knew it had been six months since he waked out and she needed to move on with her life, but she just couldn't. She hadn't heard one word from him since he had left, which hurt more than him leaving. Ever since the two of them had gotten together, they had never gone more than two days without any communication, including the almost two years they were long distance after he graduated.

She had no idea if he was doing okay. Part of her wanted to know he was falling apart as much as she was, but the other wanted him to be happy. She still loved him, after all.

"Yeah, well, things changed," Rachel murmured, sinking into a chair at her kitchen table.

Her apartment had fallen into disarray since Noah had moved out. When they were still together, Rachel had made sure everything was picked up and neat, but she gave up caring after he left. That extended to her personal appearance as well.

Her straight, brown hair had slowly become dull and matted, the consequences of not washing or brushing it regularly. Her once clear skin was marked by blemishes without a trace of makeup to be found. Her eyes, usually bright and shiny with ambition, were now dull and lifeless. In short, Rachel was a shell of the person she had once been.

"They don't change that much, diva. You could at least pretend like you give a damn about anything."

Rachel gave him a look. "Harsh, boo."

"I only claimed to be honest, not nice," he quipped, pulling open the refrigerator and helping himself to a bottle of water.

Rachel turned her attention to Quinn, who was casually leaning against the bar in the kitchen. Her eyes had barely left Rachel since she walked through the door.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Rachel admitted. "I thought you'd take your brother's side. He is family, after all."

"Me, take that slut's side? Please, I thought you knew me better than that, Rachel. I have _always_ been on your side," she said seriously, looking her best friend in the eyes. "If my dumbass whore brother is stupid enough to throw away the best relationship he's had with a woman ten times better than him, then I'm never going to be on his side. I told him as much when I bitched him out after he finally admitted to me that he broke off your engagement."

Rachel cracked a genuine smile as she imagined Quinn yelling at her brother over the phone. She'd seen her do it to him in person on multiple occasions, so it wasn't a hard scene to picture.

"So, did you two just come here to harass me?" Rachel asked, covering her mouth as she stifled a yawn. She grabbed a half-empty bag of Doritos off the kitchen table and started munching on them.

"What, we can't come and see how our bestie is doing?" Quinn asked. "You've been dodging calls and texts since that asshole left you."

"That asshole happens to be your brother," Rachel reminded Quinn.

"So? That doesn't stop him from being a grade-A douchebag. Anyways, stop interrupting me before I lose my train of thought. You've been avoiding contact with the two of us, so we needed to perform a welfare check and make sure you were still a functioning, breathing adult. Which is apparently only half-true," Quinn joked.

"Plus we wanted to get you out of this cavern of misery and around actual people for once," Kurt added. "And, since I know you and how you fare after breakups, I knew it was going to take a good six hours to get you ready to go anywhere in public."

"Why can't I just go like this?" Rachel asked, gesturing to the sweatpants and oversized t-shirt she was wearing.

"Over my dead body," Kurt said with a scandalized voice. "I refuse to be seen in public with anyone who looks less than perfect. I had serious reservations about even walking down the street with the blonde to my left."

"Bite me," Quinn retorted, grabbing a can of Diet Coke out of the fridge and cracking it open.

"Besides, we need you looking your best. Will and Cooper are in town, and you need to look as hot as you did back in your college band days."

Rachel rolled her eyes at that. "We're not getting the band back together, if that's what you're thinking. My performing days are over," she said sadly.

"I didn't say anything about performing," Kurt said defensively. "I just thought you'd want to make a good impression on the newly-single Cooper. You are both on the rebound, after all," he teased.

"Nice try, but I'm not pity-fucking your brother-in-law," Rachel said as Kurt pulled the hair tie out of her hair, accidentally yanking a few strands of her hair as he did so. "Ow, watch it," she warned.

"Sorry diva, but this would be easier if you actually took care of yourself," he warned before attacking her messy and knotted hair with a comb. "And anyways, Cooper doesn't need a pity-fuck. You should see the girls throw themselves at him when Blaine and I go out with him. It's like he's a movie star or something. The man's a goddamn middle school teacher, for crying out loud!"

"Please, Cooper is a hot piece of ass and you know it," Quinn said, flipping the TV on and turning the volume down as she searched for something to play in the background. "I would have banged him for sure."

"Yeah, well you're marrying the jolly green giant, so you missed your chance," Kurt replied.

It was true. In three months time, Quinn would be Mrs. Finn Hudson, and she was scared shitless. She'd been planning the wedding for over a year now. Originally, she and Rachel were going to get married within two weeks of each other and be each other's maids of honor. But now, with her dumbass brother screwing everything up, Rachel would have to be paired with him when Quinn and Finn walked down the aisle and said 'I do'.

"I'm still allowed to list guys I'd fuck if I wasn't engaged," Quinn huffed. "You do that all the time, and you're already married!"

Kurt and Blaine had gotten married in a quick and rushed ceremony a year ago. It hadn't been planned, but Kurt's dad had a heart attack and for a while it didn't look as though he would make it. Thankfully, he ended up making a full recovery, but Kurt had wanted his dad there for him on his big day. Not that he was complaining about the quickie marriage: he loved having Blaine as his husband.

Rachel fell silent as she listened to Kurt and Quinn bicker over silly nonsense. It was like nothing had ever happened and they were back in college sitting in her and Quinn's dorm room.

Kurt dragged Rachel over to the kitchen sink and gave her a look, meaning she was not to move. He vanished into her bathroom, presumably to grab her shampoo and give her hair a much needed scrub.

"So, have you talked to your brother lately?" Rachel asked Quinn quietly, wondering what Puck had been up to since he'd left their shared apartment six months ago.

"Working, really," Quinn answered, walking back into the kitchen and hopping up on the counter to take a seat. "His company is busy planning some big event so he's been pretty slammed with that. I don't see him that often, to be honest. We got dinner a few weeks ago when my parents and Abby were in town." Quinn made sure to avoid mentioning that Puck brought his new girlfriend with him. She was sure Rachel wasn't strong enough to hear that information.

"So, he's doing okay?"

"Yeah, he's just like his normal asshole self."

Rachel didn't know if she was happy to hear that or not. She wanted him to be doing well, but she also wanted him to be hurting as much as she was. It physically hurt her heart thinking about him, yet he seemed to not care how she was doing.

Kurt returned and began thoroughly cleaning Rachel's hair as the conversation lulled, leaving the apartment in silence with the exceptions of the television and Kurt's labored breathing as he cleaned Rachel's hair.

It felt like Rachel was sitting in the kitchen for hours. After Kurt shampooed and conditioned her hair three times, he took his time blowdrying her newly cleaned locks. He refused to let Rachel look at herself in a mirror until he was done, claiming it was akin to looking at your gifts before Christmas morning.

After her hair was dry, Kurt wrapped her dark locks in hot rollers, then turned his attention to her face and sighed. "You could have at least taken care of the raw materials for me, diva," he groaned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked.

"It's as though you haven't even breathed in the direction of a bottle of moisturizer in months. Your skin is all dry and just...ugh. I'm going to Sephora tomorrow and completely revamping your bathroom. We need to get you back on track," he scolded before pulling out a large case full of makeup.

Kurt started by covering her face in a cool liquid and rubbed it into her skin. Rachel just closed her eyes and tuned him out as he made her over. It was what she used to do when he would get her ready for her shows at O'Hara's during her college years.

Finally, after her back started to ache from sitting for so long, Kurt let Rachel stand up, though he yanked her arm when she headed towards her bathroom.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"To the bathroom?" she asked.

"No no, you still need something to wear. I refuse to let my best friend go out in public looking like a hobo," he said, handing her a heavy garment bag. With a roll of her eyes, Rachel took the bag into her room and shut the door, giving herself a moment of privacy.

Inside, Kurt had put together a whole new outfit for her. There was a long sleeved, white, flowing blouse made of silk. With it, he'd paired a high-waisted red skirt that fell mid-thigh. She wore a pair of neutral tights under the skirt and finished the look with a pair of black heeled boots that ended at her knees.

Once she was dressed, Rachel walked back out into the kitchen, where Kurt let out a low whistle. "Damn, I'm good," he said, which caused Quinn to laugh. "Am I not, blondie?" he asked.

"No, you're not good. You're amazing," she gushed, walking over to Rachel. "I can't believe you did all that in three hours."

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Am I allowed to see myself now?" she asked.

"Stop being such a drama queen," Kurt teased, leading her into the bathroom. As Rachel stared into the mirror, she thought for a moment a model had broken into her apartment. After a few minutes, she realized that was her.

She couldn't remember the last time she looked this good. Her brown hair was curled and cascaded down over her shoulders in thick waves, framing her slim face perfectly. Her makeup was perfect, yet natural looking. The outfit she had on accentuated her body in all the right places.

She looked hot.

Kurt handed her a black pea coat and a black purse. "Come on, we're already going to be late," he groaned.

"Late for what?" she asked.

"I told you, we're meeting Cooper and Will. They're both in the city for the week and asked us to grab a drink with them."

"They didn't ask me," Rachel huffed.

"That's because you've been ignoring every call and text you get," Kurt said as Rachel locked the front door to her apartment. "Cooper practically begged me to bring you with us, said he hasn't talked to you in ages and wanted to make sure you were actually still alive."

Rachel rolled her eyes as they three of them climbed onto the elevator and headed down to the front lobby of her building. Once there, they walked outside into the crisp fall air, shivering as a gust of wind hit them.

"I think he's just lonely," Kurt continued as they walked down the street, Rachel following Kurt's lead. "He's been constantly hitting Blaine and I up to do something since Santana left him. And, since he only has Lily with him twice a month, he's all alone and doesn't know what to do with himself. Blaine needs to find him a girlfriend before I kill him," Kurt mumbled, turning left down another street.

"Oh come on," Quinn said, rolling her eyes. "He's not _that_ bad."

"You only think that because he doesn't call you at midnight asking why you aren't at the bar acting as his wingman," Kurt complained. "With Will being a dad and Sam all the way out in California, Blaine and I are all he has. He's getting on my last nerve."

Kurt stopped outside a bar called "Whisky Tavern" and pulled the door open, letting Quinn and Rachel walk in ahead of him. Rachel looked around inside the dark room, adjusting to the new setting. There were tables placed sporadically around, each of them full with groups of people. Music was playing in the background, but it was hard to hear it over the many conversations that seemed to be going on all at once. They were never going to find Cooper or Will in here.

"DIVA!" someone yelled across the room. Rachel looked up and spotted Cooper frantically waving at her from a booth in the corner. She spotted Will next to him with a grin on his face. Rachel nudged Quinn and gestured over at them.

She took a deep breath as she headed over to the table, wondering what she had gotten herself into.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed this story! You all are amazing and I'm so happy to see you enjoyed the first chapter! I'm going to try to update this story as frequently as I can!**

Three hours and five drinks later, Rachel was having the time of her life. She'd been nervous walking into the bar, not quite sure what to expect from Will and Cooper after not seeing them for so long. But, it was like no time had passed at all. They'd spent most of the night reminiscing about Rachel, Quinn, and Kurt's college years.

Thankfully, Will and Cooper had enough tact not to bring up any stories involving Rachel's ex. That was a bit difficult since almost al of Rachel's freshman and sophomore years were spent with him.

"Do you remember that time during y'all's junior year when Rachel practically fell off the stage?" Will chuckled.

"To be fair, I had just turned 21 and was enjoying all the perks that came with it," Rachel stated defensively, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink.

"I don't think I've ever seen Cooper move so fast," Kurt teased, nudging Cooper in the ribs. "I swear, he's the only reason you didn't get a concussion that night."

"Too true!" Quinn laughed, draining the rest of her drink. "Of course, he was only protecting the interest of the band," she teased. "Without Rachel, you guys would have lost all your fans."

Will chuckled, taking a sip of beer. "I've never heard a more accurate statement in my life. i think 95% of the people who came to listen to our music were frat guys hoping they could hop into bed with the lead singer." He gave Rachel a playful wink.

Rachel rolled her eyes at him. "I think you're exaggerating things a little. There was definitely a group of girls there every week objectifying you and Cooper," she teased.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Will said innocently.

"Oh whatever," Rachel answered before finishing the rest of her drink. "Anyone else want a refill?" she asked, moving her chair back to get up and head back to the bar.

"I got you, Diva," Kurt said, snatching her glass away from her and motioning for her to stay seated.

"Hey, wait for me!" Quinn insisted, following behind Kurt with her empty glass in hand.

"You know, I always thought you're name would be in lights on Broadway by now," Cooper said, looking at Rachel. Will nodded his head in agreement.

Rachel sighed, looking down at her lap. It stung, hearing how her big dreams didn't pan out from her old bandmates and friends. They were right, though. When Rachel had left college, she was positive she would be a big Broadway actress within a year of moving to New York. But it didn't happen. Then Noah left and it was as though all her dreams had left with him. She couldn't even remember the last time she had sung.

"Yeah, well I suppose some things are not meant to be," she sighed. "Everything happens for a reason. I just an unsure of what that reason is at the moment."

"I get you," Cooper said. After he and Santana had split up, he was in a dark place for a few months. She hadn't given him any indication she was unhappy or planning on leaving at all. But maybe it had less to do with her being unhappy and more to do with her having an affair with her female coworker. One day she was there and the next she had left with their daughter and no indication she was planning on coming back.

If Santana had just disappeared out of his life, he supposed he could have gone on with life without many issues. It was not being able to see his daughter that killed him. Lily was Cooper's life. Since she was born, he read her a story and sang her a lullaby every night before she went to bed. To suddenly go from seeing her every day to twice a month (if he was lucky) was killing him.

"Man, you two are a bunch of downers," Will complained, throwing a napkin at Rachel's head.

"Careful," she warned. "If you mess up my hair, Kurt will probably murder you and hide the body next to Jimmy Hoffa," she joked.

Will laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, shaking his head. "Well, since you're not on Broadway, have you been doing anything else to make sure that lovely voice of yours is heard?" he asked.

Rachel shook her head. "No," she admitted. "I have not felt much of a desire to sing or even perform. Ever since _he_ left," she said, pointedly refusing to say Noah's name, "I have not felt like doing anything, really."

"Now that right there is a crime," Cooper cried. "If you're not selling out shows, you should at least be making music."

"Like I said, I have not felt the desire to do so," Rachel sighed. She hated talking about her lack of a career. She didn't understand why Cooper and Will kept harping on the singing thing. It wasn't as though they were about to offer her a record deal. They were teachers for crying out loud.

"It's too bad we didn't keep the band together," Will mused. "We could have really been something."

Rachel snorted. "Please. We sang cover songs to a bunch of drunk college students who would not know good music if it dance naked in front of their eyes. It is not as though we were really serious musicians writing our own music. We would not have lasted two seconds against a real band."

"Wow, tell us how you really feel," Cooper said, placing a hand over his heart in an attempt to look as though he had been wounded.

"I bet you we would,' Will said, looking her in the eyes. "I bet if we got everyone back together and played against other bands, _real_ bands, we would do fine. Maybe we wouldn't be the best, but we'd be top ten for sure."

Rachel shook her head and laughed. "What does this even matter? It is not as though we are actually discussing getting everyone back together. You two have real world jobs. Sam is in California, and I..."

"And you are looking for some reason to start singing again," Will said, finishing her sentence. "Face it, Rachel. You'd love it if we all got back together again."

"Like I said, it is a moot point. There is not even a market for a band like ours, anyway."

Cooper reached into his pocket and pulled out a folder piece of paper, sliding it across the table towards her. Rachel picked it up and unfolded it, reading what it said with a bemused expression. "You cannot be serious," she said.

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life," Will said.

 _Calling all bands!_ _We're looking for the next great American band for a new reality competition show, "Battle of the Bands!"Auditions Monday November 8th 9am-5pm_

Rachel glanced between Cooper and Will, shaking her head. "You guys are crazy!" she said. "We would get laughed out of that audition before we even took the stage. Besides, I'm not _that_ kind of singer. Never have been, never will be. And I'm not about to embarrass myself on national TV because you two want to relive the glory days before you two became boring old men."

Will gave her a look while Cooper let out a hearty laugh. "Who you calling boring, diva?" Cooper teased.

"Cooper, shut up and be serious for once in your life," Will said with a sign. "Look, I know this sound crazy, Rachel. Emma thought we were crazy too. But I don't want to wake up in ten years and regret not taking this chance and wondering what could have been. I know we were some crappy band in college that only appealed to frat boys who wanted to bang you. But, we were good. And we could be great if you'd just take this chance with us." He gave her a look. "Just think it over, okay? You don't have to give us an answer tonight. Just...think about it."

Rachel looked at the two of them for a moment before finishing the drink Kurt had just set in front of her. "Okay," she promised. "I'll think about it. It's getting late and I need to get to bed. I'll call or text you tomorrow, okay? We can get lunch and talk this over more or something." Will and Cooper nodded their head as Quinn and Kurt got up with Rachel.

"Will, always a pleasure," Kurt said, shaking his hand as Quinn pulled Cooper into a tight hug. "I'll see you guys soon," he promised before he and Quinn followed Rachel out of the bar and into the chilly air of the city.

The three friends hailed a cab and headed back towards Rachel's apartment. Rachel yawned and leaned her head on Quinn's shoulder as Kurt sang along loudly with the radio. Rachel replayed the conversation with Cooper and Will over again in her head. They were crazy, there was no other explanation for it. How could they think she was ready and wiling to start their old band up again? It would just bring back memories of Quinn's brother, and she wasn't ready to face them again.

Rachel and Quinn climbed out of the cab as Kurt paid the driver, and the three of them headed inside. Once they were in Rachel's apartment, she kicked the boots Kurt had given her off and headed into her room, ready to change into her cozy pajamas.

"So, what were you, Will, and Cooper chatting about?" Kurt asked once she had reemerged into her living room, though Rachel had a feeling he already knew judging by his tone.

"Like you don't already know," she said sarcastically. "I should really refuse to speak to either one of you, you know. You two set me up."

"Set up is a little harsh," Quinn said as she started cleaning her make up off her face. "We just arranged a meeting, that's all."

"You say arranged a meeting, I say you bamboozled me," Rachel insisted.

"Get over yourself, diva," Kurt said as he pulled a tee shirt and sweatpants on. "You need something to pull you out of this funk. I think this is exactly what you need."

Rachel ignored him as she pulled the sofa bed out, throwing a few pillow onto it.

"Kurt's right," Quinn said as she pulled her pajamas on. "You haven't been yourself since my brother left. You need to get your groove back."

"And you think that means I must rejoin the old band and make a fool out of myself on national television."

Kurt tolled his eyes. As much as he loved Rachel, she could be a bit of a drama queen sometimes. "You're not going to make a fool of yourself, diva," he promised. "You're going to kick some ass and make America fall in love with you. Just like all those frat boys did when you were a little freshman," he joked.

Rachel glared at him, looking very cute nconvinced with her arms crossed over her chest.

Quinn sighed before taking a seat on Rachel's bed. She looked at her seriously. "Look, you know I love you, right?"

"Are you going to try to give me some tough love now?" Rachel asked sarcastically.

"No. I'm going to be completely honest with you. Look, I know you've been down since my brother ripped your heart out of your chest and stomped it into the dirt." Rachel winced at Quinn's words. She certainly didn't sugar coat things. "I get it. It's not like you two had a normal break up. You were planning your lives together before he decided to pul the plug because he's the world's biggest asshole."

Rachel smiled a little. When she and Quinn were roommates, it always made her feel better to have Quinn insult her brother when he and Rachel were fighting. She was thankful that still held true now that they weren't together anymore.

"But you can't stop living your life because you two aren't together. He hasn't stopped living his."

"Quinn," Kurt said with a warning tone to his voice. "You promised."

Rachel looked between her two best friends, a look of confusion on her face. "You two are not telling me something," she accused. "About...him."

Quinn signed as she took Rachel's hand. "Rach, my brother...he...he..." She let out a sigh. 'He has a new girlfriend."

Someone physically stabbing her through the heart would have hurt less than hearing that he had moved on. Rachel had still been holding out hope that this was all a mistake, that he would realize how miserable he was without her and beg for her to come back to him. Obviously, that was not the case. Apparently, he was doing just fine without her. She was the one who didn't seem to be able to live without him.

"Who cares if he has ten new girlfriends?" Quinn continued, putting her arm around Rachel's shoulders. "First of all, none of them would ever come close to comparing to you. I always said my brother never deserved someone like you. He did something right in a past life for you to even agree to go out with him. He'll come to his senses eventually, but maybe if he knew you were living your best life without him, he'd realize it a lot sooner."

"Are you trying to make a point or make me cry?" Rachel asked.

Quinn sighed and turned to Kurt. "I'm doing this all wrong. Help please?"

Rachel felt the bed shift as Kurt sat on her other side and placed his arm around her as well. "Our point is, sitting inside watching reruns of bad reality TV is not going to make him realize how much he fucked up and how much he misses you."

"So, you're saying I should rejoin the band to win him back?" she asked.

"No, you should do it because you want to. Rach, you've been my best friend for as long as I can remember. You deserve to be happy, much happier than you've been over the past six months. I hate seeing you waste your life pining over some guy."

Rachel looked over at him with her brown eyes, the shine they once had missing. "What do you want me to do then?"

"I want you to be the Rachel who didn't care what anyone said told Mr. Ryerson that Jean Valjean could most definitely be played by a girl. I want you to be the Rachel who punched Max Everson in the face senior year for grabbing her ass. I want you to be the girl who helped me pass as straight for over a year," he joked, giving her a tight hug. "I want you to be...you."

"I have not been me, have I?" she asked. Both Quinn and Kurt shook their heads. "You're right," she agreed. "I have just been existing, not living. I am sick of it," she said, a little more life in her voice. "Kurt, will you hand me my phone?" she asked.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I am about to do something reckless and maybe just a little bit stupid," she said.

He handed her her phone and watched as she opened up a new text to both Will and Cooper. She typed out four words before sending it.

 _Call Sam. I'm in._


	3. Chapter 3

"Jeez diva, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you'd never exercised a day in your life," Kurt teased as he and Rachel exited the gym, both of them panting after an especially strenuous workout.

Rachel gave him a stern look as she wiped a drop of sweat from her brow. "Well excuse me, but I haven't had much motivation to go to the gym recently." She reached up, yanking the rubber band out of her hair and letting her messy waves fall down her back.

"All the more reason for you to get your butt back in motion. You want to look great for your big TV debut."

Rachel rolled her eyes at him. "That's assuming we even make it past the first round of auditions. We'll probably get laughed out of the studio. It's not like the four of us exactly look like rockstars. Well, maybe Will, but the rest of us are as clean cut as you can get."

Kurt stopped, staring at Rachel excitedly.

"What?" she asked. "What did I say?"

"There's an obvious solution to this, you know."

"What?"

"We need to give you a punk rock goddess makeover, of course!" he said, practically leaping in the air with excitement.

Rachel narrowed her eyes at him. "No. No way. I let you make me over when we were in college, but I am drawing the line now. You probably want to give me ten piercings and a bunch of tattoos. I did not sign up for that, boo."

Kurt gave her a look. "It's like you don't know me at all. I'm talking a new hairstyle with some color streaks and a brand-new wardrobe that may involve some leather. Come on Rachel, this is what I do for a living!"

Rachel continued looking at him skeptically.

"I promise not to make any changes unless you're okay with it. Come on, we haven't done a real makeover in years! Plus, I bet you'll earn some major points with the judges if you show up looking like you are ready to rock and roll."

Rachel let out a reluctant sigh before giving Kurt a small nod. "Okay fine! I'll do it," she said. "Just no tattoos. I think my dads would kill me if I made any permanent modifications to my body. You remember how much they flipped when I let Amy Carson pierce my ears at that slumber party in 7th grade."

Kurt chucked as they headed back to Rachel's building. "Trust me, I remember. I didn't see you for almost a month."

"I know. Plus, they made me take the earrings out so the holes closed up. It was so not fair."

They headed inside Rachel's building and took the elevator up to her floor. They walked into the apartment to the smell of cinnamon rolls and freshly brewed coffee. Rachel spotted Quinn standing in the kitchen, wiping down the last of her counter tops.

"Did you really clean my kitchen for me?" Rachel asked, grabbing a mug from the cabinet and pouring herself a cup of coffee.

Quinn rolled her eyes as she took a bite out of a cinnamon roll. "Of course I did," she said with her mouth full. "Your kitchen was a nightmare. No way was I was going to continue letting you live like that. Besides, it only took me an hour to get everything cleaned up," she said smugly.

"Oh yeah, just rub it in," Rachel teased as she added a little cream to her cup of coffee.

"New day, new Rachel. The first step to getting OG Rachel Berry back is a clean apartment."

"We're not doing OG Rachel Berry. She's gone. Say hello to Rachel Berry 2.0," Kurt said smugly.

"2.0?" Quinn asked. "Are you trying to say your BFF needs an upgrade."

Kurt gave Quinn an exasperated look. "Are you going to look me in the eyes and tell me she doesn't?" he asked.

"You know, it would be nice if my two best friends wouldn't talk about me like I am not even in the room," Rachel said, her voice curt. She took a long sip from her mug, draining the rest of the coffee in it.

"Oh, come off it, Diva," Kurt said, rolling his eyes at Rachel. "You know we do it out of love. And to answer the blonde's question, yes, she most definitely needs an upgrade. I'm thinking new haircut, some neon highlights, and a brand-new wardrobe. I'm going for chic punk princess. We need to make you look the part if you, my brother-in-law, and those other rockstar wannabes want to woo over the judges."

Quinn and Rachel look at one another before letting out a few laughs.

"You two know I'm right," he teased, standing up from the table and putting his mug in the sink. "Now lot's go, we're wasting valuable shopping time sitting around here!"

Rachel grabbed her bag and keys, following Kurt and Quinn out of her apartment. As she locked her front door, she wondered what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

"Okay Diva, pink or blue?"

"What are you, the fairies from _Sleeping Beauty?_ "

"Did you know every analogy you make is somehow related to some pop culture reference?" Kurt retorted, leaning back in the styling chair next to Rachel. She had been in the salon for almost three hours as her long, chestnut hair was cut, colored, and completely changed. She hadn't glanced in the mirror because she was terrified about who would be looking back at her. "Besides," Kurt continued, "you didn't answer my question. So, pink or blue?"

"Pink or blue what?" Rachel replied.

"Streaks, Diva. In that gorgeous mane of yours. I said we were going to punk rock your look up, and there's no better way to do that than with streaks!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You're only recommending adding color to my hair because my dads used to threaten to ground me if I ever dyed my hair an unnatural color," she retorted with a pointed look at Kurt.

Kurt smiled innocently. "That has nothing to do with it. Besides, you're just avoiding the decision," he accused. "So I ask you once again Diva, pink or blue?"

Rachel let out a quick sign before giving him a look. "Pink, I guess," she finally said. The stylist who had been working on her nodded once before reaching in the cabinet below the sink, pulling out a bottle that had a bright pink label on it. She poured the dye into a bowl and started mixing it around.

"Diva, you are going to look so fab once this is all done. I can see it now," he said with a dreamy expression on his face.

The door to the salon swung open and Quinn breezed in, her arms full of shopping bags. "Sorry I took so long," she said as she dumped the bags on the ground and flopped into the next empty salon chair. "You wouldn't believe how many people are out shopping on a Wednesday afternoon," she said with a laugh. "But, thanks to Mr. and Mr. Berry, I was able to get an entirely new wardrobe," she said with a smug smile on her face.

Rachel rolled her eyes at Quinn, ignoring what the stylist was doing to her hair at the moment. She wasn't entirely on board with Kurt's makeover anymore, knowing how drastically different her hair was now going to look. "I cannot believe you two roped my dads into this insane plot," she said, pulling out her phone.

She had two texts from Will, both of which contained details for their upcoming audition. She had one from Cooper, inviting her out to get a drink soon. And she had one from Sam, telling her how excited he was to see her again.

Rachel locked her phone, placing it back in her lap as she half-listened to Kurt talk about Rachel's big debut at the audition. She must had dozed off because suddenly, Kurt was calling her name and shaking her gently, knocking her out of the deep sleep she had been in.

"Diva, wake up! Don't you want to see your new do?" he asked excitedly.

Rachel sighed before opening her eyes, staring into the mirror in front of her.

She gasped slightly as a smile crept onto her face. She was expecting Mohawks and a full head of pink hair, something completely not her. Instead, she was greeted by a reflection that still looked very much like Rachel Berry with a pink-rock twist to it. The hair against her scalp on the left had been buzzed off while the remained was still long with beach waves. Instead of hot pink, the stylist had gone with a softer shade and done streaks on the bottom half of Rachel's hair, giving her more of an ombre look.

"Well?" Kurt asked, practically jumping out of his chair.

"I like it," Rachel whispered, reaching a hand up to her hair. She turned to face Kurt and nodded. "Really, I love it." She turned around to face the stylist who had been working on Rachel's hair for the past few hours. "Thank you so much. It's perfect."

Quinn smiled from ear to ear before pulling Rachel out of the chair. "Come on, time to try on your new wardrobe!"

* * *

Rachel spent the rest of the day changing in and out of the various outfits Quinn had picked out for her. Most of the dresses were too short and the heels too high, but Rachel jut kept reminding herself that it was necessary for the performance. At around two in the morning, Kurt and Quinn finally decided they were done playing dress-up with Rachel and the three friends passed out in Rachel's living room, Rachel still wearing the last outfit she had tried on.

Rachel awoke to a knock at the door around ten the next morning, yawning as she sat up from a blanket on the floor. Kurt and Quinn were still sleeping, so she quietly made her way to the door, opening it just a crack.

"Diva!" Sam shouted as he pushed the door open, pulling Rachel into his arms in a tight hug. "Rach, I'm so happy to see you."

Kurt and Quinn both sat up instantly after being thrust out of their dreams thanks to Sam's loud voice.

Rachel let out a quiet laugh as Sam swung her around in his arms. "It's good to see you too, Sam. How's Brittany?"

Sam set her down, a smile still etched across his face. "She's great! She's still out in California. She send her love, though. She said if things go well, she'll join me here in New York. She couldn't come this time because of the dogs," he said with a laugh. "Plus, she'd been crazy busy at work and just couldn't get the time off on such short notice," he explained as he set Rachel down on the ground. He gave her a quick glance before arching an eyebrow. "Going somewhere?" he asked. "And since when did you dye your hair pink?"

"Since yesterday," she explained, pulling on the hem of the dress she was wearing and wishing she had remembered to change back into her sweatpants last night. "And no, I just forgot to change before I passed out last night," she retorted, sticking her tongue out.

"Real mature," he teased, throwing an arm around her and hugging her again. "Who cares though, I'm just so happy to see you guys!"

Quinn leapt to her feet, throwing herself into Sam's arms. "Aw Sammy, we missed you too!" she laughed.

Rachel smiled as she watched Quinn and Kurt both give Sam a hug. It was just like being back in college. Except if this were college, Noah would be right by her side. She looked over towards the door, remembering watching him walk through it after telling Rachel it was over between them. She shook her head slightly. No, she wasn't going to think of that day or let him occupy any more space in her head. He was in the past, she had to let him stay there. She couldn't keep thinking about him if she wanted to move on with her life.

"So, how was your flight?" Rachel asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Oh, not too bad," Sam said, taking a seat at one of Rachel's bar stools. "I slept the whole way. That's the best thing about taking a red-eye," he laughed. "What have you three troublemakers been up to since I saw you last?" he asked.

"Wedding planning, mainly," Quinn said. "Finn and I finally get married in three months. I can't believe it's so soon," she said with a wistful sigh. "It feels like just yesterday we got engaged." She looked down at the large diamond on her finger with a smile.

"Working for me," Kurt said. "And making sure my dad is following the doctor's orders," he added. "He hasn't exactly enjoyed cutting all his favorite foods out of his diet. Though, Carol has definitely been a huge help with that. I think he honestly considered divorce when she told him no more bacon."

They all turned to look at Rachel, who just shrugged. "Nothing. I've just been here, doing the same thing every day," she said with a sad smile.

"Well, who cares," Sam said. "That's the past. In three days, everything's going to be different," he promised. "We're going to rock this audition, and soon you're going to have a line of guys ready to help you smile again," he teased.

Rachel rolled her eyes at him as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Why do you always know what to say to cheer me up?" she asked.

"Because I'm one of your best friends," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Trust me, Rachel. These last six months are soon just going to be a bad dream. I promise. Now come on, we've only got a little more than 96 hours to get the band back in action."

 **PS: Link to the style of Rachel's hair:** pin/265501340517956051/


End file.
